The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, denominated "August Sun", broadly characterized by its freestone fruit of dark red color and more particularly to such a peach tree wherein the flesh of the fruit is very crisp and of a bright yellow color having a bright red ring bounding the pit cavity and in which the pit completely fills the pit cavity with a skin which is tenacious to the flesh and ripening from August 18 to August 24 in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
The commercial market for tree fruit and particularly peaches slackens as the season reaches its latter stages. During this period, those varieties which are of high color and are resistent to damage by handling and shipping are the only ones of any substantial commercial value. The patented O'Henry peach tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,964) produces fruit having good qualities in these respects and ripening about August 6. The peach tree of the present invention is distinct in that it produces fruit of very high color, which is quite resistent to damage from handling and shipping and which ripens from August 18 to about August 24 to achieve excellent market acceptance after the harvest of the O'Henry peach.